June 7, 1920

318
LENIN COLLECTED WORKS
26328

TELEGRAM ON INTENSIFYING GRAIN REQUISITIONS*

June 7, 1920

The new offensive of international imperialism and the latest attempt to destroy the conquests of the revolution demand the immediate full mobilization of all living forces of the Republic. The mobilization must be directed first and foremost at grain requisitions. The expansion and deepening of the front in connection with the offensive of the Red Army require a significant increase in food resources in the country. Meanwhile, there is an observed reduction in requisitions, a fall in energy. Apparently, it is thought that the operational campaign is concluded. On the basis of the Sovnarkom decree of May 27, I propose to adopt the most decisive, most energetic measures for the restoration and increase of requisitions. For this I require: 1) full, active cooperation of the food organs on the part of the Gubernatorial Executive Committee, casting aside all tendencies to defend purely local interests, which often hamper requisitions; 2) in agreement with the Gubernatorial Military Committee, Gubernatorial Labor Committee, and Gubernatorial Committee, mobilize all forces—technical, armed, and party—and place them at the disposal of the food organs, whose combat task must be exclusively the extraction of remaining food reserves; 3) give all mobilized personnel definite precise combat assignments under the personal strict responsibility of leaders, demanding actual results from work and checking implementation; 4) direct all party agitation forces to the countryside with the purpose of detailed explanation to the population of the exceptional importance at the present moment of surrendering surpluses and of the criminal betrayal on the part of persons concealing and stubbornly refusing to surrender grain; 5) toward the latter apply the most severe measures, up to confiscation of property and referral to tribunal courts; 6) it is inadmissible and there is now observed a slowdown in the rate of transport of grain to railway stations and loading it into cars. The spring field work is finished, whereby you are obliged to full execution of the order of April 27. I reaffirm the directive on full unconditional cooperation of the Gubernatorial Food Committees on the part of local organs of Glavkomtrud, the Commissariat of Internal Affairs, Tramota, and the military administration in the matter of actual transport of food cargo from collection points to stations, loading,

* The telegram was addressed "to all pre-gubernatorial conferences, gubernatorial food commissioners, pre-gubernatorial executive committees, gubernatorial committees, gubernatorial labor committees, gubernatorial military committees."

1920 YEAR

and carrying out the loading itself; 7) I obligate you for transport not to hesitate before any measures for successful fulfillment of the task set by the center, in particular utilize to required extent the proclamation of obligatory duties and the involvement of the military administration. The utilization of military forces for this work must be carried out in such a measure that it in no way causes a weakening of aid to the Western and South-Western fronts and work on preparation of this aid,* which is placed on the personal responsibility of the pre-gubernatorial executive committees and gubernatorial military committees.

Chairman of Sovnarkom

Lenin

Printed from the original signed by V. I. Lenin.

5219

LETTER TO A MEMBER OF THE COLLEGIUM OF THE COMMISSARIAT OF POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS

June 8, 1920

About a week ago I gave a representative of the Cheka a request addressed to you to repair a telephone line, which he will point out to you.

The line continues to work terribly even now: 50 versts worse than 600–750, Petrograd and Kharkov!!

It appears that the organization and discipline in the matter of telephone communications are terribly poor.

I request you to send me:

1) a copy of your first directive on putting this telephone line in order (and connecting it directly to the switchboard of the 3rd floor in the Kremlin, in the SNK);

2) a copy of the repeated directive, which I request you to issue immediately;

3) an indication of the name and surname (as well as the position) of persons responsible for carrying out the directive, as well as for constant supervision of the telephone line's operability. I request you to indicate to all these persons that for malfunction I will bring them to responsibility under the laws of martial law.

Chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)